Mammal Protection Act, particularly the accuracy of population 

 estimates from the 1940s and 1950s. 



The Japanese delegation expressed preference for con- 

 tinuing the Interim Convention concluded in 1957 and questioned 

 the rationale for the United States 1 failure to ratify the 

 1984 Protocol to extend the Convention. The Japanese delegation 

 noted that the United States was permitting a subsistence 

 harvest by Alaska Natives even though the Pribilof Islands 

 fur seal population was in the process of being declared 

 depleted and that such a designation would prohibit the inci- 

 dental take of fur seals in fisheries, which would have no 

 more effect on the population than the Native subsistence 

 take. The delegation also noted that analysis of pelagic 

 survey data collected by Japanese scientists indicated that 

 the Pribilof fur seal population was larger than U.S. scientists 

 estimated. 



The Soviet delegation supported negotiation of a new 

 agreement and adoption of temporary management measures pending 

 negotiation of the agreement. The delegation suggested for- 

 mation of an ad hoc working group to expedite identification 

 and implementation of needed research and conservation measures. 

 The Soviet delegation also provided information indicating 

 that the Robben Island fur seal population had declined sub- 

 stantially since 1984, due apparently to a substantial decline 

 in recruitment to the breeding population, as appears to be 

 happening in the Pribilof s. 



Although there were differing views as to the type of 

 agreement needed, the need for multinational efforts to protect 

 and conserve North Pacific fur seals and their habitat was 

 generally recognized. The United States therefore proposed to 

 recommend initiation of formal talks to negotiate a new inter- 

 national agreement on fur seal research and conservation. 



The Marine Mammal Commission supports the view that 

 multinational efforts are necessary to effectively protect 

 and conserve fur seals and the ecosystem of which they are a 

 part. The Commission also believes, as noted earlier, that a 

 comprehensive conservation plan should be developed by the 

 National Marine Fisheries Service, and that the Plan should 

 be used as the basis for determining provisions that should 

 be included in a new international fur seal agreement. In 

 1988, the Commission will continue to work with the National 

 Marine Fisheries Service, the Department of State, and others 

 to identify and negotiate an appropriate agreement. 



36 



